Trainee journalist at Cardiff JOMEC, English & German graduate from the University of Exeter, former editor of Exeposé student newspaper and winner of 'Best Interview' at the 2017 Student Publication Association national awards.

Mother slams IKEA for rejecting autistic son

The Local Germany (29 July 2015)

A mother from North Rhine-Westphalia has accused IKEA of debasement, discrimination and marginalization – after employees in the Dortmund store refused to let her autistic son into the children’s play area.

Bianca Amanzada wanted to place her son Alyschah-Paul in Småland – the chain’s free supervised children’s play area – while she visited the Dortmund IKEA, reports Die Glocke.

But when she told supervisors that the five-year-old suffers from autism, they refused to let him join the other children.

Autistic children are violent by nature, staff allegedly told her – adding that it would be too much of a risk to have Alyschah-Paul play with the other children, in case he injured them.

Amanzada took her case to the store manager, who also refused to let her son into the play area.

‘Leave your son in the car’

Amanzada’s 19-year-old daughter offered to stay in Småland with Alyschah-Paul and watch over him, but this was also refused.

According to Amanzada, an employee then advised: “you could always leave your son in the car.”